new in forum, new to the aquarium hobby

[veronica24]

ok so i got a 29 gallon tank and it is still not fully cycled yet. but i want some ideas on what might look good. I'm cycling with fish because that's what they told me i should do in the pet store, not really sure if it was what i was suppose to do but.....thats what i did. so i already have in my tank 5 fish (3-serpae tetra and 2-?? small yellow with little black spots) and i would like to add the following;

top dwellers:6- killifish or guppies(not sure if guppies are top dwellers but i got that from some sites i looked up)
middle dwellers: 6- glofish,cardinal,or neon tetras
bottom dwellers: 1 or 2- oto or bristlenose pleco

please help me out in choosing the best and in the order i should put them in, thanks so much!!

 

[Rosenweiss]

I'm not the most qualified to help you stock, but I can say I LOVE otos. I'm going to get some eventually for our 29g. Let me just tell you: 3 otos take up less bioload than a SINGLE pleco. and they like to be in groups of at least 3. So I say, do some research and get 3 otos!

 

[Viper]

My first word of advice is to take what the pet store says with a grain of salt. They reason that they told you to do it with fish is so that you will buy the fish from them. You walking out with a tank but no fish is a missed sales opportunity for them.

I know it's too late but in the future, if you decide to get more tanks (which is almost inevitable of you stay in the hobby ), I would research fish-less cycling. It is much less work on your end and you won't harm any fish in the process.

Other than that, I would say do some research on killifish. I've never kept them, but I believe they have slightly different living requirements than your standard tropical community. I may be wrong but it's worth looking it up!

And welcome!

 

[Bettababe1011]

Right now with an in fish cycle, testing your water(with liquid test kits, not strips) and doing pwc are your best bet if you can't return the fish.

I would also look up all you can about in fish cycles at the moment. The more you know, the more likely your fish are to pull through this. Good luck!

Courtesy of Dakota's iPod.

 

[adadkins1]

I agree, definately keep a very close eye on the water parameters. I have to do daily water changes on my tank since I am fish-in cycling. It just depends on your bio load how often you have to do them, but I prefer to keep my Ammonia and Nitrite at or below .25ppm while cycling.

 

[veronica24]

i have been cleaning ny tank but i guess not enough though because its not clear, even after i clean it, its kind of white. its that normal or am i doing something wrong or not doing something I'm suppose to b doing?

 

[Viper]

i have been cleaning ny tank but i guess not enough though because its not clear, even after i clean it, its kind of white. its that normal or am i doing something wrong or not doing something I'm suppose to b doing?

That is a bacterial bloom and is very common when first starting a cycle. It is all of the good bacteria that has yet to find a home (colonize). Eventually, most of the bacteria will colonize in your filter. The cloud should go away on its own.

 

[Scraps]

I have done new tank cycles with fish in it, I agree test the water regularly, DON'T get anymore fish for awhile, it's hard and tempting to just go full steam ahead the one pet shop I go to won't sell you a fish unless they test your water, I gotta give them that they really care.
Hopefully they at least asked you what kind of water you have, since they all have diffrent thing in them City water- has clorine and floride. Wells- can run the gambit sulfur to high mineral counts.
My advice let it finish cycling, then by at the most 3 fish at a time, let things balance then add a few more, may take a few months but I've always had good luck going slow.

P.S Get a test kit even though most pet shops can do it for you, and they will try to tell you that you don't need one, I like knowing.

 

[veronica24]

thank you viper i was worried i mean when i first thought about getting into this hobby i thought it would b the easiest thing but i didn't do my research until i got it and there is a lot, A LOT, i have to learn but I'm loving it you know just to think about my tank fully stocked gets me excited. THANKS SO MUCH everyone has been very helpful

 

[Viper]

thank you viper i was worried i mean when i first thought about getting into this hobby i thought it would b the easiest thing but i didn't do my research until i got it and there is a lot, A LOT, i have to learn but I'm loving it you know just to think about my tank fully stocked gets me excited. THANKS SO MUCH everyone has been very helpful

Yes, at first it all seems so easy. Put water in the tank, then add fish and boom you have an aquarium

Then you start experiencing problems and start looking around for advice so you go to your LFS and ask them and they say its natural and sell you more fish to replace the ones you lost.

Then they too meet an early demise and you find a site like this and the amount of information and preparations needed for a successful tank hits you in the face like a brick wall and leaves you feeling a little overwhelmed and worried about what you just got yourself into.

Don't worry, its a natural progression in an aquarist's life and is the foundation for a lifetime of successful fish keeping! Do your best to avoid stocking your tank more until your cycle has finished. When you decide to buy the fish for your tank, be sure to check here and see if the fish you are buying are compatible with each other! Good luck!

 

[Viper]

I have done new tank cycles with fish in it, I agree test the water regularly, DON'T get anymore fish for awhile, it's hard and tempting to just go full steam ahead the one pet shop I go to won't sell you a fish unless they test your water, I gotta give them that they really care.
Hopefully they at least asked you what kind of water you have, since they all have diffrent thing in them City water- has clorine and floride. Wells- can run the gambit sulfur to high mineral counts.
My advice let it finish cycling, then by at the most 3 fish at a time, let things balance then add a few more, may take a few months but I've always had good luck going slow.

P.S Get a test kit even though most pet shops can do it for you, and they will try to tell you that you don't need one, I like knowing.

That sounds like a really great LFS (local fish store). I would stick with them if you can!

 

[Randi]

When you are finished cycling, I would recommend getting at least 3 more Serpae tetras. I have had issues with some seriously aggressive Serpaes and a larger group calms them down.

 

[veronica24]

thanks for telling me that cuz they do Chase each other around when at the beginning they didn't